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Voting in elections for people with disabilities

Voting in local and general elections should be accessible to you, whether you choose to vote at a polling station or in another way (for example by post).

Polling stations and local information

Under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), service providers are legally obliged to make any 'reasonable' physical adjustments to their premises to make them accessible to people with disabilities. This legislation covers polling stations.

You can find out about the voting process and your local polling station by contacting your local Electoral Office. In addition to the headquarters in Belfast, there are seven Area Electoral Offices across Northern Ireland.

The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI) operates a central helpline. Staff will either deal with your call directly or transfer you to an area office if necessary.

You can contact the Electoral Office on:

  • phone: 0800 4320 712
  • fax: 028 9033 0661
  • textphone: 0800 3284 502
  • email: info@eoni.org.uk

The Electoral Office can provide information about polling stations, including details about:

  • physical access - disabled parking spaces and entrance ramps
  • low-level polling booths

Local disability groups may also be able to give advice and help.

If you need help on polling day, you can apply to the presiding officer asking them to mark your ballot paper for you. Alternatively, they will allow you to vote with a companion's help.

Tactile voting devices for blind or visually impaired people

All polling stations must provide a tactile voting device and at least one large print display version of the ballot paper. This makes it easier to vote without another person's help if you're blind or visually impaired. You can also ask polling station staff to read the list of candidates and their details to you.

A Braille version of the electoral identity card is available for blind or visually impaired people.

Ways to vote

If you find it difficult to get to your polling station, you can vote in a different way.

Postal voting and voting by proxy

If you live in Northern Ireland or abroad and apply in time, you can vote by post or by proxy. You can get an application form by contacting the EONI helpline or by downloading it from the EONI website.

You must explain why it is unreasonable to expect you to go to your allotted polling station - for example because you will be on holiday or because you have a disability.

All application forms require another person to confirm the details you have given. The form must be returned no later than 14 working days before the date of the election.

Voting by post

A ballot paper will be sent to you approximately 10 days before the date of an election. Mark the ballot paper and return it to the Area Office before 10.00pm on the day of the election.

Voting by proxy

You must nominate another person to go to your polling station on election day and vote on your behalf. The person you choose must agree to do this and they must not have agreed to act as a proxy for more than two people unless they are related to them. A poll card will be sent to your proxy telling them which polling station to go to.

Power of attorney and voting

A 'power of attorney' is a process in which a person gives one or more people - the attorney(s) - the legal right to manage their affairs because they are incapable of doing so themselves. This might be to sign cheques or withdraw money from a savings account for them.

A power of attorney does not extend to the electoral process. An attorney has no powers to vote on behalf of another person, unless they have been appointed proxy on a form signed by the person.

Voting information in alternative formats

The Electoral Commission website 'About My Vote' contains information which can be downloaded in large print and various language formats and as audio files.

'Easy read' voting information

The website 'Our Vote, Our Voice' has been developed with the help of people who have learning difficulties. It has lots of information about voting. You can download an information pack or order a DVD about elections.

You can download information as a pdf from the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website:

The Electoral Commission runs a website called 'Do politics'. There are various booklets to download and you can also order a DVD about voting.

The Chief Electoral Officer

The Chief Electoral Officer administers elections and compiles the Register of Electors in Northern Ireland. He is independent of Government and is assisted in his duties by the staff of the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. The current Chief Electoral Officer is Graham Shields.

The Electoral Office website provides information on registering to vote and the various types of elections, as well as guidance for candidates and a wide range of statistics, forms and leaflets.

The Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. One of its aims is to look at how to modernise the electoral process, including how to make voting more accessible to disabled people. Its website contains lots of information about elections and the democratic process, including information with particular relevance to disabled people.

More information

There is general information about voting, elections and political parties in the Government, citizens and rights section of nidirect, and on the disability action website.

More useful links

Do it online